The Trouble With Ms Parkinson
by whitemoustache
Summary: Pansy Parkinson is on a quest to become better than everyone else. An established party planner, her days are busy and properly scheduled. Percy Weasley is a Ministry Official who doesn't have much of a social life. In a world where the war is over and scars are healing, these two find love. But will their ambition keep them from taking a bigger step? AU
1. Chapter 1: To Be Better

Pansy Parkinson knew there was no such thing as "the best". Which was why she always strived to be better, better than everyone else at whatever she chose to do.

A year after the war she found her calling. It wasn't a painful journey of self-discovery, oh no. It started more as a call of desperation. Her father died during the war leaving her with a crumbling business empire. She knew she had to act fast or she would be forced to give up the lifestyle she was accustomed to. So she used her Slytherin cunning.

That cunning led her to sell her father's business empire to a price that was not so horrible—a price that would be enough for her to start her own venture. What venture was that? Well, it was something Pansy had watched her mother, Narcissa Malfoy and countless other society women do. It was something she had been bred to do, but because everything was changing and everyone was busy, the society woman of today did not have time to do it anymore. It was something the Slytherin House had relied on her during her Hogwarts days.

Pansy Parkinson, at the age of eighteen, had started her own party planning business. Because she always strived to be better, at the age of twenty-two (a mere five years after the war), she was already better than everyone else.

Ever since she was a little girl Pansy had always wanted to become center of attention. She saw herself in the middle of a ballroom (her fantasies were usually set in Malfoy Manor's grand ballroom—how fickle of her) being a perfect hostess, with all of her society friends and their families showering her with adoration and enjoying a party she had put together. No war, no Voldemort, and certainly no Draco Malfoy could ever derail her from achieving her dreams.

She remained unfazed during Draco's engagement to Astoria Greengrass. The Malfoy heir would always remain one of her closest and dearest friends. She could care less about romance nowadays. All that mattered was that she was the most sought-after, adored and successful party planner in all of Wizarding Britain.

Sure, she was usually faced with snooty upper class mothers too busy to prepare their children's birthdays, or couples so involved with each other that they would hand over the reins to Pansy for their own wedding, but all in all she was happy. There was nothing like the thrill of ordering people around and making dreams come true to keep her satisfied.

Pansy, young as she may be, had earned a formidable reputation among the Wizarding World. A Pansy Parkinson party was the latest accessory, the gateway to a social event that would be talked about. Which was why she was extremely picky in her projects. Make no mistake; she had thousands of party proposals at her desk every morning. From the first sentence of a proposal she could already deduce if that party would be a successful one.

A yes from Pansy Parkinson would mean the whole world to anyone who she deemed worthy of it. She certainly earned it, too. The struggles she faced from the beginning of her business were challenging, but nothing her Slytherin charms couldn't overcome.

It was the third anniversary of the war's end that made her star rise. After an hour of conversing, negotiating, and close to begging on her part with her former schoolmate Harry Potter, the latter had conceded to let her plan the party. It was a grand affair in the gardens of Hogwarts that left everyone, including Rita Skeeter, amazed. The morning after, her breakfast was interrupted by about thirty owls from people asking her to plan their parties. Those thirty clients got her enough galleons to secure a respectable office in the business district.

A month later, a blurb in Rita Skeeter's column cemented her reputation. _Certainly, the social event of the season could not have been possible without the talents of emerging party planner Pansy Parkinson, owner and proprietor of Parties by Pansy. _

Now she commanded a staff of ten, owned a three-room office that had a beautiful view of the west of Diagon Alley, had partnerships with all the top restaurants and caterers, and most importantly, was finally the center of attention.

Yes, life was good for the enduring, surviving Pansy Parkinson.


	2. Chapter 2: Dinner for Renewal

Pansy took a sip of the Pumpkin Juice she had on her tumbler as she strolled down the Ministry. She had just come from a talk with her friend Millicent Bulstrode who worked in the Department of Mysteries, so her mind was still reeling from the gossip and idle chatting they had shared over a cup of tea.

She hitched her bag up her shoulder and her eyes immediately widened. She remembered she had some business errands to run in the Ministry and felt immediately foolish that she did not think of killing two birds with one stone during her visit with Millicent. Sighing, she stared at her watch—only thirty minutes until the offices closed. She hurried down the hall and into the office of the Deputy of the Minister.

"How may I help you?" The receptionist, a woman with a slightly long nose and round glasses, asked her. Her small golden nametag said Carrie.

"My business permits need renewal. I'm Pansy Parkinson from Parties by Pansy." She politely answered. Carrie motioned to the chair in front of her. Just when Pansy was about to take a seat, a door from behind the receptionist opened.

"Mr. Weasley!" Pansy exclaimed.

Percy Weasley looked up and saw a woman covered by a pea green coat with her raven hair tied neatly behind her. He felt a jolt of familiarity as if he had seen her before.

"I'm Pansy, Pansy Parkinson. You were a few years above me in Hogwarts. I was in Slytherin?" Pansy said, staring at the man with red hair curled messily atop his head. Percy blinked a few times before remembering his manners.

"Oh right! Ms. Parkinson, do forgive me. You were made prefect the same year as my brother Ron. You plan parties now, am I correct?" Percy said. He noted the way Pansy lifted her hand for him to shake, not as other would do but like how a princess would before stepping out of a carriage.

"Yes, I own Parties by Pansy, we have an office by the business district." Pansy replied. She could barely remember the older Weasley. He had been a prefect, and eventually head boy. She remembered seeing him with Barty Crouch for sometime, other than that her memories of him were a bit fuzzy. She did not, however, remember him to be so good looking.

"Right. Ms. Parkinson, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Percy asked, leading her into his office and motioning her to the chair to sit down. Pansy did so, sitting prettily with her hands on her lap.

"I need to renew my business permits. They're not due for another month but one can never be too careful. I was just having tea with my friend Millicent in the Department of Mysteries and I thought I would have it renewed on the way back." Pansy answered.

"Well, up until three months ago renewal was relatively quick. A flick of the wand and some stamps and notes here and there and you would be good to go. But the Ministry decided to become stricter, since there have been instances of fraud recently." Percy answered.

"Oh yes, I read about that in the Prophet. I hope no one's been compromised too much." She respectfully said, noting how Percy's lips would twitch everytime he looked her in the eye.

"Thankfully, the casualties haven't been too many. The Ministry managed to contain everything within a number of weeks. But they imposed new laws of permits. The person needing a renewal would need to be interviewed by a Deputy of the Minister." Percy said. Pansy thoughtfully looked at him, confused for a moment.

"What about those needing new permits?" Pansy asked.

"They would have to undergo a rigorous process. The Ministry did not want to offend the lucky few who managed to get their permits before this whole fiasco. My job now is to interview those who need their permits renewed to ensure that their business have been running honorably. They deemed that my…umm…position is the Ministry is umm…err…high enough so that those who already have the right permits but just need renewal wouldn't be offended." Percy replied, flustered that he had to raise his own chair up to be able to explain to the beautiful lady in front of him why she needed to go through the extra hassle.

"I see, I understand completely. You will need to interview me? Can we do it right now?" Pansy asked. She did not have the time to schedule another meeting when her days were booked with planning parties.

"Well, had you come earlier than you did, I could have done it already. But the Ministry is quite strict as of the moment in enforcing the right office hours to ensure that they don't overwork anyone. I am sorry, we would have to set another day, and they'll be turning off the lights in a while. I do apologize." He answered. He immediately wanted to retract his words when he saw her pout thoughtfully. But his morality wouldn't allow it.

"I understand. We can't conduct the interview here right now because they're going to turn off the lights soon." Pansy said. She giggled at that ridiculous statement.

"Ludicrous, isn't it?" Percy said, laughing with her. He found her laugh beautiful, but he would be damned if she knew that.

"Well, what about if you interview me outside?" Pansy asked, the wheels in her head turning. She had tonight free, and had expected to go home and curl into a ball in front of the fireplace reading a book, but she couldn't let go of this opportunity.

"I beg your pardon?" Percy asked.

"Do you have plans for dinner?" Pansy asked. "You could interview me over dinner at a restaurant."

"Ms. Parkinson, I—"

"Mr. Weasley, you said the only reason we couldn't conduct the interview was because of the lights. Nothing in the Ministry Handbook says you can't interview me outside of office hours, am I correct?" Pansy asked. Percy was stunned, was she asking him to dinner? He was momentarily gobsmacked before he realized she just asked him a question.

"Well, yes. It is unorthodox but under special circumstances I believe I can conduct—"

"So, Mr. Weasley, would you care to join me for dinner? Or do you have other plans?" Pansy asked, willing herself not to giggle at the incredibly flustered (not to mention incredibly handsome) man in front of her.

"I would love to escort you to dinner, Ms. Parkinson." Percy replied with utmost sincerity. "A business dinner, that is." He added lamely.

"Of course, Mr. Weasley. But I do insist you stop calling me Ms. Parkinson. I prefer to be called Pansy." Pansy said.

"Then call me Percy, then." Percy replied.

"Lovely. Shall we go, Percy?" Pansy asked, holding out her arm. Percy was momentarily stunned; he did not know what to do. But then he remembered that Pansy Parkinson was raised among the elites, trained to be a lady, and ladies expect gentlemen to take their arm and escort them properly. He gingerly took her arm, looped it around his and together they made their way outside.

Carrie could only stare as her awkward, gangly boss made his way outside in the arms of a beautiful woman. In true dramatic fashion, the lights blinked and dimmed. All in a day's work in the Ministry of Magic.


	3. Chapter 3: Reservations

The streets were slowly darkening and the streetlights were beginning to magically light up, casting a romantic glow on the unconventional pair walking. They were heading towards _Pot and Cauldron_, a new restaurant that was attracting the young professional crowd. It was perfect for their dinner.

"We don't have a reservation." Percy reminded her gently as they neared the restaurant. He saw people in line outside waiting to be seated.

"I suppose we don't." Pansy answered. Percy swore he could see a cheeky look in her eyes as they made their way to the hostess.

"Can we have a table for two? By the window please. My companion and I would love a table with a good view of the fountain." Pansy said, motioning to the fountain outside. Percy, for the millionth time since meeting Pansy Parkinson, was stunned. She was confident, sure of herself and had this air about her that demanded respect. He could only stare at the hostess who he gathered couldn't wait to reject another customer and send them to the back of the line.

"You would be twentieth on the waiting list Ms—" The hostess looked and gasped. Pansy kept her respectful smile and was the vision of calmness as the hostess looked her up and down in a manner that was bordering on rude, in Percy's opinion.

"Ms. Parkinson! Of course, ma'am! I'll have your seat in ready in a moment!" The hostess squeaked and went inside. He peeked to the right as he saw the person inside who was presumably the manager whisper with the hostess in quick hushed tones. He could see the manager's eyes widen excitedly as he ordered his staff to prepare a table.

Percy found it amusing yet sensible. Of course no dining establishment would want to disappoint the famous party planner, lest they be taken off her list of potential caterers and be put in her blacklist. Five minutes later, the pair found themselves seated on the best table with a great view of the glittering fountain, much to the excitement of the manager and the chagrin of all other waiting outside.

"Compliments of the house. Here are your menus, I will return in a while to take your orders." A waiter with a French accent pompously said, pouring wine on their glasses. Pansy raised hers and they drank the rich wine offered to them.

"What an exciting life you must lead. The rest of us peasants must wait outside if not accompanied by you. " Percy commented humorously, still struck by the marvel of it all.

"You must be joking with me, Deputy Minister." She mischievously said. "I would think a business establishment would be more concerned with keeping their permits rather than merely being blacklisted by a party planner. Yet you do not wield your power." She observed.

Pansy spoke the truth, which was why she was really confused earlier as to why Percy would bother with a trivial thing such as a reservation. While Pansy had the power to take the restaurant off the social scene with a flick of her wand, Percy had the power to wipe them off the face of the Earth. The humility of this man amazed her.

"Well, I don't believe in using my influence in the Ministry for just a dinner reservation." He replied good-naturedly.

"It's not just any dinner reservation is it? It's _Pot and Cauldron_." She whispered, sarcastically emphasizing the name of the restaurant with a grin. They both laughed. Pansy didn't know why a lot of people found Percy Weasley too uptight; he was proving to be an enjoyable companion.

After the waiter came back to take their orders, Pansy decided to get down to business. She leaned in the table and placed her head in her hands. Percy was immediately stunned, the candle between them made her face luminous. Truly, she was a vision of perfection. He vaguely remembered his brother ranting about Draco Malfoy and his pug-nosed liaison and soon concluded that Ronald was ever the exaggerator. Pansy Parkinson was breathtaking.

"What questions do you have for me, Mr. Weasley?" Pansy asked. Percy shook inwardly. For a moment he had fantasized that they were on a romantic date. He scolded himself, as if a woman like her would ever be caught dating a man like him. He sighed and started to ask routine questions.

"How long has your business been running?" Percy asked.

"Five years, but I've only had the office for about two of them." Pansy answered dutifully.

"Staff?"

"I have a team of ten working for me, though I do employ a number of waitstaff during events." Pansy answered.

This went on and on throughout dinner, with Percy asking protocol questions and Pansy answering them without any hint of hesitation. He had to admit, his first impression of her had been clouded by her name and her circle. He expected to be faced with a spoiled princess who pranced around in fancy dresses during her extravagant parties. Seeing this woman in front of him, he now knew how wrong he was. With each answer she gave, laugh she emitted and joke she sidelined into, his admiration grew for the woman who picked her life back up and worked her way to the top in a short span of time.

"Last question, Ms. Parkinson." He said, taking a slice of the chocolate cake they had been served for dessert. Pansy smiled at him, silently daring him to ask the question.

"Do you have any immediate plans for any kind of business expansion?" Percy asked. Pansy looked at her cake thoughtfully for a while before answering.

"I would love to have my own party venue. The Parkinson estate, my family home, is much too big for a single woman like me living alone. I would love to transform it someday into a magnificent party venue; there are simply too many possibilities! Galas could be held at the ballroom, tea parties in my great-aunt Jacqueline's garden, and I could run it like a hotel, making use of the many rooms the manor has." Pansy said, staring dreamily into space. Percy smiled, no doubt she would one say achieve that, a woman with her Slytherin cunning and ambition.

"But of course, that's very far off. I don't have the resources to remodel the manor, or deal with the expenses. So no, Mr. Weasley, I don't have any immediate plans to expand the business. Not right now when I'm still starting out." Pansy respectfully answered.

Percy inwardly concluded that this was far the most pleasant interview he had ever conducted. Pansy was energetic and dynamic; he could barely feel the clock ticking, as their enjoyment had been too immense. He called for the check, silently brooding that this night was about to come to an end.

"Well, Ms. Parkinson, you have answered each question perfectly and decently, which is more than I can say for many business owners nowadays. I will have your permit ready by tomorrow. Would you rather I owl it to you for convenience?" Percy asked, put out by the fact that there was a possibility he wouldn't be able to see her again for a long time.

"I wouldn't want to trouble you, Percy. I could just go to your office tomorrow and pick it up. Would that be alright?" Pansy asked. Percy could hardly contain his excitement.

"That would be splendid. It will be ready first thing in the morning." He managed to say. The check arrived and Pansy immediately reached for it.

"I should pay, it was I who coerced you into conducting the interview outside of office hours." Pansy said. Percy scoffed. If she really expected that he would let her pay, Pansy had another thing coming at her.

"Ms. Parkinson, I am a gentleman. Let me pay. Besides, I don't think my mother and my sister would ever forgive me if I told them I let a lady pay for dinner." Percy said, thinking how unpleasantly his mother would react if her son had been rude like that.

Before Pansy could react, he had deftly taken the check out of her hand. Without looking at the price (he could deal with that later), he wrote down his Gringott's account number and gave the check back to the waiter. Minutes later, he helped Pansy out of her seat and led her outside the restaurant. They stood awkwardly by the fountain.

Pansy took a Knut from her purse and threw it in the fountain. Percy chuckled.

"An old tradition we must all indulge in, I suppose." Pansy explained.

"What would Pansy Parkinson wish for?" Percy chortled while his companion giggled. Pansy was silent for a while, making Percy even more awkward and uncomfortable. After a few moments that seemed like eternity, Pansy answered him.

"That Mr. Weasley would agree to have dinner with her again, this time, not because of business matters but because of…erm…good company." Pansy inwardly groaned, comparing it to how Draco had asked her out during their fourth year in Hogwarts. _Hey Parkinson! You, me, Three Broomsticks this weekend. What do you say?_

Percy froze. Was this woman, this ravishing beauty, asking him out on a date? _A DATE?_ Percy could hardly remember the last time he had gone out on a proper romantic date. Was it with Penelope Clearwater? Or maybe that other girl last year who he wasn't too sure about? His eyes widened.

"Me? Oh I…of course…I would love to…I can't even…I…" He awkwardly stuttered, putting his hands in his pockets—they were itching to do a happy dance that would definitely send this lady running fast from their direction. Pansy laughed softly. He cursed himself for his stupidity. Of all the times to be at a loss for words, really, he had to give himself a pat on the back for that one.

"Lovely. I'm out of the office by 4 on Friday. You can pick me up by then?" Pansy asked.

"Friday. That would be…" Phenomenal, fantastic, absolutely riveting, but he did not want to scare the poor girl. "Good. Friday would be good. I'll see you then, Ms. Parkinson? Oh and tomorrow too." Percy said, mentally beating himself up for the severe awkwardness he was having.

"Thank you for a wonderful evening, Percy Weasley. I must leave now, the estate demands my presence. Good bye!" She trilled. Leaning forward, she gave him a peck on the cheek before Apparating.

Long after she left, Percy touched his cheek right at the spot where she kissed him. Sighing, he whispered a soft goodbye to the air before Apparating to his flat. As his hands touched his doorknob he instantly choked because of a realization.

_Friday was only two days away. _How in Merlin's beard was he supposed to prepare with that short amount of time?


	4. Chapter 4: Musings and Time

Pansy sat comfortably in what had been her father's favorite armchair. Curled comfortably with a cup of tea in her hands, she stared thoughtfully into the fire. She thought about the evening that had just transpired, wondering how in the world she had managed to ask Percy Weasley out on a date.

It was odd. One dinner and she already felt a sense of comfort with him. She figured if she was brave enough she would ask Ronald Weasley about his brother, but they were not that familiar with each other. He seemed interested in her, she didn't know if it would turn into something more. If anyone asked her where she saw herself in a few years, romance would definitely be the last thing on her fantasy.

She had grown up spoiled and privileged, and expected to inherit a massive fortune that would take care of her for the rest of her life. She did not expect to be a workingwoman; she expected to be a society hostess and matron. During her Hogwarts days, before the war, she had fantasized about marrying Draco Malfoy (or any other pureblood male from a respectable family), raising children with him, throwing parties and whatnot. She saw her husband making good investments that would have their children accustomed to the lifestyle that they had been raised in. Certainly, had a few things gone differently, had a choice not gone bad or too, that life wouldn't have been too far off for her.

How strange life is, she thought. True enough, she would not give up her party planning business for anything. She was already traumatized enough as it is by the burden her father had left her. She learned quickly that if she was going to have money to burn, she would have to earn it on her own and make it grow.

That thought brought her back to Percy Weasley. Certainly, his family connections wouldn't have gotten him far even with Harry Potter was their close family friend. With all due respect to the Weasley family (whose family tree rooted as far down as hers), the two previous generations of patriarchs had made unwise decisions financially. Percy Weasley was shrewd, intelligent and a hard worker. He started from the bottom and now he was a Deputy to Kingsley Shacklebolt himself. He was someone who knew how to make his money grow, someone who knew the importance of diligence.

She remembered Draco ranting to her about the pompous Weasley Head Boy; she could remember the animosity between their houses during their Hogwarts years. She could remember throwing a few cruel jibes at Hermione Granger, who was soon to be Percy's sister in law if Pansy's sources were correct. But they had been civil and even courteous acquaintances during the past few years, they all acknowledged that their feuding had been the result of too much childish pride. The war was over, and they had all grown up. She relents, however, that few scars would not heal.

She remembered why some Slytherins were displeased with the Weasleys. Blood traitors, they had been called. But there was no denying that Percy was Pureblood, and that the Slytherin house had been in panic when Ginny Weasley was kidnapped during their second year in Hogwarts due to that whole fiasco with the Chamber of Secrets. Blood traitor or not, they were still Purebloods and if one of their own was not safe, who's to say they would not be petrified by the end of the night?

Pansy didn't really care about blood purity, she wasn't as obsessed with it as her father and Draco's family had been. But Percy being a Pureblood meant she would be honoring her parents' memories, no matter how disturbed it might seem.

The longer she thought about it, the more she became convinced that having relations with Mr. Weasley wouldn't bring her misfortune. God willing, if this relationship ended in marriage, they would make good partners. But relationships took work, and time, and time was something Pansy had little of.

She shook her head; she was clearly getting ahead of herself. For all she knew, there would be a chance they would completely be incompatible. But she could not deny the chemistry and tension that had been between them during dinner. Percy had been courteous and gentlemanly, but there was a fire and passion in his eyes that she could see.

Not to mention he was quite the looker with his curly red hair and adorable freckles.

Pansy sighed, looking at the clock. If she managed to get her arse out of her chair at this moment and into bed, she figured she would at least have a good night's sleep before work tomorrow. Shaking her head, she stood up and called for her house elf to take the teacup from her. After depositing it into the capable elf's tiny fingers, she made her way to her bedroom, trying as hard as she could to erase the image of a certain redheaded gentleman from her mind.


	5. Chapter 5: Familiarity

Percy had never been one to need an alarm clock, even as a child he could will himself to wake up at a certain time. Due to the routine that he had kept for five years, he easily woke up at seven in the morning to the sun shining into his bedroom. Groaning, he then wondered if last night had been a dream. He remembered flashes of shiny black hair, a Knut thrown into a fountain and a peck on his cheek.

It was peculiar, before yesterday he had never given Pansy Parkinson a second thought. She was always unreachable to him, belonging to a circle of purebloods his family had been exiled from about two generations of Weasleys ago. But now, she was all that filled his mind. She was not the spoiled, selfish cow on Draco Malfoy's arm anymore; she was a woman with her own mind who had grown into a beautiful but professional businesswoman.

They weren't that much different, he mused.

Dressing into his Ministry robes, he bit into a piece of toast before leaving his flat. All his service in the Ministry as deputy to the Minister had been able to afford him a decent flat with one bedroom, enough for a bachelor like him. Everything was clean and orderly, just as he liked it. The few decorations that dotted the tables and walls were gifts from his family and friends—he never had much care for frivolous things as art.

He imagined Pansy Parkinson's estate to be filled with expensive antiques, paintings of ancestors and other rarities. She didn't seem to like being cluttered, preferring everything to be in tip-top shape. He gathered this from the way she tied her hair, the way she spoke and the overall way she handled herself. He imagined her in the middle of his family home in the Burrow—how out of place she would be! He chuckled silently at this.

His flat was near enough to the Ministry so that he could walk to work on a good day. Walking out of his flat, he noted the way his feet seemed extra energetic. He did not know if it was delusion, but he swore he could hear birds chirping in the air. Percy frowned; he never cared for such frivolity before. But then again, he never expected to be looking forward to a date with one Pansy Parkinson.

Because he was Percy Weasley, he arrived at the office when only just a few people were filing into the Ministry. His receptionist Carrie would be arriving a few minutes after him. He settled himself into his office and began to get to work, completely enthusiastic about the papers he needed to sign, bureaucrats he needed to appease and Minister he needed to serve. Unlike many people, Percy Weasley loved his job. He loved bringing order to chaos and making sure everything was done properly and according to the rightful law.

He heard the door open and close, concluding that Carrie had already arrived. After a few hours of interviews and paperwork, a knock sounded on his door and Carrie's head popped inside.

"Mr. Weasley, someone's here to see you." Carrie said. Percy looked up, hopeful. His heart tightened around his chest as he prepared to meet the person who he expected would light up the rest of his day.

In entered his brother Ronald Weasley, and Percy looked immediately put off.

"Nice to see you too, brother." Ronald chuckled. Percy rolled his eyes.

"Good morning, Ronald." Percy replied, motioning for him to take a seat. What his auror brother was doing here, he did not know.

"Expecting someone else?" Ron asked, raising his eyebrows in jest.

"I…erm…no…just…" Percy started, causing Ron's eyes to widen in mischief. Before his brother could get any ideas, he immediately recovered. "What do you need?"

"It's Gred and Forge." Ron said, sighing. Percy's eyes narrowed.

"What is it now? If they want you to drop off some artifact that will make my office explode then please leave. I have no time for that." Percy sternly said. Ron laughed inwardly, some things never changed.

"They want to know why they have to go through some sort of interview for their permits when their loving older brother could already fix everything." Ron said, wincing as he prepared himself for Percy's reaction. Percy shook his head.

"Tell them to drop by if they really want their permit renewed, instead of sending their youngest brother out to be their lackey." Percy primly replied. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Do you really want them inside your office?" Ron asked, trying to appeal to the neat freak in his brother.

"I'll be prepared." Percy smirked. Ron shrugged.

"Alright, I'll pass the message on, I'll be dropping by the shop later anyway." Ron said. Percy nodded. Ron made his way towards the door. As his hand touched the doorknob, Percy suddenly remembered something.

"Wait!" Percy called, immediately scolding himself for appearing so eager. Ron stopped and turned to look at him.

"I want to erm, ask you, since you were a prefect and all in Hogwarts, what do you know about, of course I'd understand if you didn't—" Percy mumbled.

"Get to the point, Percy." Ron said, looking at his watch. Percy took a deep breath.

"Pansy Parkinson. You were in the same year in Hogwarts, right? What do you know about her?" Percy managed to get out, knowing that his face would have turned very red by now.

Ron looked at him thoughtfully, wondering what all of this was about. Then he remembered that Pansy was running her own business right now, it must have been something about permits.

"Yes, she was a bit of a brat during Hogwarts, always hanging onto Malfoy's word and all that. But no one really expected that she would be so successful at you know, planning parties." Ron began. Percy nodded, silently asking for more information.

"We never really spoke, it was Harry she appealed to when she asked to plan the anniversary party two years ago. You can try asking Fred and George, she's bought a few party favors from them before from what I hear. She's a lot less stuck up now, I hear. Too bad she never got rid of her pug nose, huh?" Ron humorously said, earning a glare from Percy.

"I'm only joking, Percy! Merlin, don't look at me like that. It was some childish feud; we were willing to point out any imperfection just because. Why? Are you in love with her or something?" Ron joked. He did not think it was possible, but Percy even became redder.

"No! Of course not! I, we just had—" Percy mumbled incoherebly until Carrie interrupted.

"Messrs. Weasley, Ms. Parkinson is here to pick up her permit." Carrie announced.

"Speak of the devil." Ron muttered. Before Percy could take any action, he was too late.

In a flurry of jasmine perfume mixed with fresh morning air, Pansy Parkinson entered. Wearing a blue summer dress and looking as neat and prim as ever before, she sauntered into the room confidently.

"Percy, hello I—" She stopped, surprised to see Ron there.

"Percy?" Ron mouthed to himself, baffled by the fact that Parkinson and his brother were on first name basis.

"Ronald! I didn't expect you to be here. I hope I didn't interrupt some family matters." Pansy politely said.

"It's fine, Ronald was just leaving." Percy said, glaring at Ron. Ron waved his hands up in mock surrender, getting ready to leave.

"I could see I've extended my welcome. I'll be on my way now. It was nice seeing you again Pans…Parkinson." Ron said. Some things would never change.

"Likewise, Ronald." Pansy said, giving him a winning smile. Ron was momentarily stunned, but then gathered his wits and left, leaving his brother with who had been his former enemy in Hogwarts.

When the door closed behind Ron, Pansy took a seat in front of Percy's desk. Percy fumbled with his papers, looking for Pansy's permit. He eventually handed over a piece of parchment with the Ministry's red seal.

"Your permit, Ms. Parkinson. Parties by Pansy can still run legally for the next two years." Percy said. Pansy looked over the permit and nodded, giving Percy a light smile.

"Thank you so much. I apologize I can't stay that long; I have a meeting with Sheila, Oliver Wood's wife. It appears he had just been made official Keeper for Puddlemere United and she's asked me to plan a congratulatory party. I do have my biases for former schoolmates." Pansy said, hurriedly gathering her things. Percy stood up, ready to see her out.

"Yes, we were in the same year at Hogwarts! He was captain of the Quidditch team, always noisy in the dormitories." Percy recalled. He and Oliver were very good friends, to the surprise of many people. They were both driven and had the desire to be successful. He made a mental note to congratulate him on his promotion.

"Well, you can congratulate him yourself if you're going to the party. You're in the guest list; Sheila made sure to invite all of his former Gryffindor teammates and friends. I must be off." Pansy said. As quickly as she had gotten to his office, she had left.


	6. Chapter 6: Firewhisky

The last two days had been a flurry for Pansy Parkinson. With the permit business already handled, she diligently focused on the task at hand: planning Oliver Wood's congratulatory party. His wife Sheila, a former correspondent for the Quidditch Weekly, was a whimsical woman that reminded Pansy too much of Luna Lovegood. The woman readily admitted that she did not have anything in mind for the party, so instead Pansy had asked her about Oliver.

"Did you not know him during your days at Hogwarts?" Sheila asked. It was Thursday morning and they had been in Pansy's office.

"Truth be told I rarely saw him except for Quidditch games. We were in different houses. I saw him last during the battle." Pansy replied, she did not need to say which battle it was.

"Well, he's been working too hard lately, so I want the party to have a playful vibe. Children's toys, party favors, toy broomsticks and all that. I also want candy, lots and lots of candy and sweets. I just want him to have some fun." Sheila happily trilled on. Pansy nodded, writing on her parchment. Her fluffy pink quill swished as she made one note after another.

Pansy understood what Sheila wanted; she had done children's parties before. But to devise a party for adults with a childlike appeal was going to be a challenge. There was nothing Pansy loved more than a challenge. After assuring Sheila that she would be taking care of everything, she distributed the list of things to do to her staff.

Thursday soon turned into Friday and Pansy was exhausted. Ever since her business took off she had enforced a _only two parties in one week _rule. She would not allow three of her parties to happen on the same week—she valued rest and relaxation. Her last party of the week would be birthday brunch on Saturday afternoon. Because of the stress, she was absolutely looking forward to her date with Percy Weasley.

"Harriet, are there any more clients?" Pansy called her assistant. Harriet was very responsible, a trait Pansy had come to depend on. There were times when she was confident she could leave Harriet in charge. Pansy valued the woman's opinion and sometimes asked her for her advice regarding a party or two.

"No, but I did receive an owl from Dennis Creevey. He was asking if he could cover the brunch tomorrow as a photographer." Harriet asked. Pansy nodded thoughtfully. It was a surprise that the younger Creevey brother had come to her asking if he could work as a photographer for her parties about year ago. Fresh out of Hogwarts, the boy was as talented at photography as his late older brother had been.

"I thought he was on holiday with his parents?" Pansy asked. When she told Percy Weasley that she had a bias for former schoolmates, she was not lying. After seeing the talent that the boy had, she immediately hired him.

"His parents caught some sickness and they decided to go home early." Harriet replied. Pansy frowned.

"Is he alright? Did he catch anything?" Pansy asked.

"No. He said a healer friend of his already looked him over. He's alright." Harriet said.

"Tell him to be at the Southron Estate by 8:45 tomorrow at the very least." Pansy said.

"Alright. Will there be anything else?" Harriet asked. Pansy shook her head.

"No. I'll be changing now, a gentleman will be picking me up in a while." Pansy mischievously said.

"A date? Do tell!" Harriet immediately asked. Pansy giggled, the girl could give Rita Skeeter a run for her money.

"Oh, Harriet, do mind your own business." Pansy jokingly said. Harriet relented.

"Alright. Enjoy yourself." Harriet said, leaving the room.

Pansy entered her private powder room and changed into a dark green knee-length dress. She had never taken to wearing dress robes; they were far too stuffy. Putting a black pea coat over it, she checked her makeup and decided she was ready. As she emerged from the powder room, Harriet was there to greet her.

"Your date is here. Might I say, I never thought you to be into redheads." Harriet mischievously said.

"Oh, Harriet. Please tell me you did not scare him off." Pansy said, rolling her eyes.

"You know I'd never do that. He's waiting there, go ahead. I'll close the office up." Harriet said. Pansy gave her a hug of thanks before striding into the waiting room.

Percy immediately stood up the moment Pansy entered the room. He observed that she had let her hair down and it fell in loose tendrils down her back. She gave him a peck on the cheek before he presented her with flowers.

"Lilies, how wonderful! And here I thought you'd bring me Pansy flowers." Pansy joked. Percy shook his head, chuckling.

"I had thought of that, but I assume you already have too much of those." Percy replied.

"Don't even get me started." Pansy said, taking the flowers. She conjured up an empty vase, filled it with water from her wand and placed the flowers on a table.

"Shall we go?" Percy asked, offering his arm. Pansy willingly took it. Slowly, they walked out of the building and into the streets. It was Friday night and the working crowd was getting loose, especially in the business district. Already they could see groups of friends ready to dance and get drunk.

"I figured since we had such a formal dinner the last time, we should settle for something more casual tonight, don't you think?" Percy asked, testing the waters. Should she want a more formal dinner, he was readily prepared. But because it was Friday and everyone wanted to let off some steam, he figured they didn't need too much formality.

"I absolutely agree. I suppose we should unwind if we want to get to know each other better." Pansy cheekily said. Percy was thankful that it the sun was about to set, he did not want his companion to see him flustered and blushing red. Pansy sensed his embarrassment and relented. She would have to be more careful when dealing with Percy Weasley. She imagined he was the most uptight of all Weasley brothers, the calm that resisted the chaos of the twins. In Slytherin they freely spoke of their opinions to each other, joked about sex and lust like it was the weather. They did censor themselves whenever their families met or partied with each other. Of course, now that they were all grown, they had learned to let go of their childishness, but of course a joke or two wouldn't hurt.

"Did you have any place in mind?" She asked. Percy smiled, nodding.

"I know just the place. It's not too rowdy, but not too uptight." Percy answered.

"Lead the way." She all but whispered, causing Percy Weasley to blush yet again. Even though it caused him discomfort, she loved seeing him blush—he looked absolutely adorable.

They saw professionals like themselves make their way into pubs and restaurants, ready to unwind on a Friday night. Percy led her to a street called Balderdash Row. It was lined with establishments of what appeared like upscale pubs.

"Have you ever been here before?" Percy asked.

"No, I've heard Harriet, my assistant mention it before though." Pansy said, looking up at Percy.

"I've only been here twice before. It doesn't get as crowded like the Leaky Cauldron, but they do have respectable clientele." Percy said, uncertain if it would be alright with her. Pansy didn't need to be convinced. She knew she and Percy were alike in a sense that they valued the importance of personal space and safety. She knew he would not take her anywhere that got too rowdy.

"The place we're going to brews their own Firewhisky. It's amazing, you have to try it." Percy said, leading her to a pub called _The Bronze Knut_. A few people were having dinner and drinks inside.

"Why, Percy Weasley, are you trying to get a lady drunk?" Pansy joked. Percy immediately flushed, looked down and mumbled before Pansy laughed.

"I'm only joking, Percy. I know you'd never do anything dishonorable." Pansy said. Percy laughed along with her, deciding that he'd been too uptight lately. Pansy deduced that from the lines in his face he wasn't really the laughing and joking sort.

"Shall we?" Percy asked. Pansy nodded and let him lead her into _The Bronze Knut. _They seated themselves and waited for a waiter silently.

_The Bronze Knut_ was a casual, laid back pub. There were a few gaming tables topped with chess pieces for the occasional match. Percy had heard that the establishment threw little tournaments from time to time. He wondered if his brother Ron had ever—

"BLIMEY!"

Pansy was startled when she saw Percy's ears immedietly turn pink. Percy's eyes widened, he would recognize that voice anywhere. Percy shook, his heart pounding.

"Percy are you alright?" Pansy asked. Before Percy could answer, he felt a clap on his shoulder.

"AM I DREAMING? OR IS PERCY REALLY ON A DATE WITH PARKINSON?" Ronald all but shouted to the whole pub. Percy buried his head in his hands while Pansy was mildly amused. She remained calm and turned to look at Ronald's companions, who other than Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Ronald clearly had too much Firewhisky and his brother was suffering at his expense.

"Ronald, you're embarrassing everyone!" Hermione hissed at her fiancé. Pansy turned to look at Harry, who was so stunned he had not moved an inch.

"HOW LONG HAVE YOU TWO BEEN SHACKING UP?" Ron bellowed. This time it was Pansy who had the decency to blush. The whole pub was looking their way now. Percy was of no help, his mumblings clearly incohereble.

"Oh my goodness, RON!" Hermione shrilly cried, embarrassed for all of them. She gave Pansy an apologetic smile.

"Harry, help me take Ron outside. He's clearly had too much to drink!" Hermione bossily ordered. Harry snapped out of the trance he was in and grabbed Ron's arm, dragging him outside.

"Come on, Ron. Let's leave them to their…erm…thing…" Harry lamely said, coercing an intoxicated Ronald Weasley outside.

"Percy, Parkin—erm Pansy, I am deeply sorry for having ruined your evening. I will be having a few words with Ronald after this, I assure you." Hermione politely said, glaring at Ron's direction. Percy raised his head, his face still tomato red.

"It's alright, we were just taken aback." Pansy smoothly said. Hermione sighed thankfully. The Pansy of old would have made an equally scandalous scene, ashamed to be embarrassed like that, but this Pansy was calm, cool and collected.

"Hermione come on!" Harry called from outside. Hermione gave them a curious stare before trailing after her friends.

Pansy stared at Percy before she began laughing to ease the tension. Percy looked at her, puzzled. He expected she'd already run off because of Ronald.

"That was officially the most mortifying experience I've ever had." Pansy said. Percy gathered his wits and spoke.

"I would like to start my three-part apology by saying that I did not know that Ronald and his friends would be—" Percy began, ready to launch into a whole explanation about how Ronald had always been impulsive and always had a low tolerance for alcohol.

"Percy, it's alright. It was not your fault, no one could have planned something as peculiar as what had just transpired." Pansy soothingly said. Percy groaned, much to Pansy's surprise. She now knew that his defenses would always be down when it came to his siblings.

"Oh Merlin what if they tell everyone?" Percy said, scared about Pansy's reputation. Pansy shook her head, smiling.

"Then everyone will know I had dinner and drinks with a handsome young man on Friday night." Pansy confidently said, and for the billionth time that night, Percy blushed.

"I hardly think I'm—" Percy started but Pansy beat him to it.

"You're not completely oblivious are you?" Pansy asked, hardly daring to believe it.

"Pardon?" Percy asked.

"Oblivious to the fact that you are one of the most eligible bachelors in the Wizarding World?" Pansy asked. It was astounding how he did not know his own value.

"Think about it, you have an exemplary disciplinary record, graduated from Hogwarts with top marks, have a high-paying job at the Ministry, fought on the right side of the war, should I go on?" Pansy asked. Percy was now beet red.

"Can we talk about something else?" Percy awkwardly said, he never knew how to handle compliments like hers.

"If you like." Pansy replied. The subject of his insecurity would not be abandoned, Pansy noted.

The ordeal earlier readily forgotten, Pansy and Percy spent the rest of the night enjoying each other's company. By the end of the night Percy was definitely sure that all of his hard work had led him to be delusional, for he was having such an immensely wonderful time that he had hardly believed it to be real.

Pansy felt her heart pound in her chest every time he fondly spoke, she remembered this feeling distinctly. It was a feeling of giddiness and excitement. Dare she think it, was she starting to fall in love?


	7. Chapter 7: The Bitter Taste of Beetles

Monday morning dawned bright and early for Pansy Parkinson. The weekend seemed like a fleeting cloud to her. She and Percy had spent the past two days getting to know each other. On Saturday evening, he took her to a play in a village near Cumbria that was sponsored by the Ministry. It was a community theater production of The Fountain of Fair Fortune done by little schoolchildren. They had a splendid time talking about the adorable performers over dinner after the play had ended. On Sunday afternoon she took him on a picnic at one of her favorite parks growing up. They spent a magical afternoon watching red-cheeked children throwing little pieces of bread to feed the ducks.

They did not go any further than an embrace or a peck on the cheek. It felt Pansy a little frustrated, she was used to dating men who were more forward. But then, it was part of Percy's charm—slow and steady always won the race, after all. All the more odd was that Percy Weasley seemed much more comfortable around her the further they were from the reach of the Ministry. He had already put his arm around her shoulder once, and seemed to smile widely more often. Pansy almost swooned every time he gave her one of those rare smiles. While she, as a party planner, threw smiles like Knuts, Percy the Ministry official was the opposite. Which was why as a companion she learned to cherish the smiles he gave her.

Lounging in her bed, she cautiously received her Monday's copy of the Daily Prophet from the owl that had flown into her window. After giving the owl a treat and a galleon, she sighed as she flipped through the pages of the Prophet. Lazily, she turned one page to another until something caught her eye—Rita Skeeter's weekly gossip column. As usual it was filled with snippets of scandalous observations of the rich and famous. Until one paragraph left Pansy stunned

_Weasley brothers brawl at The Bronze Knut. On Friday night, Auror Ronald Weasley (accompanied by close friend Harry Potter and fiancé Hermione Granger) exchanged loud, angry words with his brother Ministry Official Percy Weasley, who was accompanied by socialite and party planner Pansy Parkinson. This is not the first time Mr. Weasley and Ms Parkinson have been sighted together, as my sources tell me they had a rather intimate dinner last Wednesday night. Is Arthur Weasley's last single son thinking of settling down with the fabulous Ms. Parkinson? I'll be the first to know. _

Pansy closed her eyes and massaged her temples. For all that Rita Skeeter had helped her in launching her career, she had never wanted to throttle another woman more than ever before. This could very well ruin the fragile budding romance she and Percy were beginning to share. Percy, for all his acumen in politics, finances and business, was still a shy person who was uncomfortable in the limelight. She would have to speak to him about it soon. She knew they couldn't be paranoid of Rita Skeeter's presence for every action they took, so it should be clear to both of them what this relationship really was.

Pansy hated _the talk. _

Sighing, she hauled herself out of bed and into the showers. Thinking about the parties she had set for the week. Much to her dismay, she could not seem to focus, not when Percy Weasley was clouding her mind. She dressed and apparated to her office, willing herself to go on business-mode. She had clients to meet and wishes to grant—and she could not do it if she were not one-hundred-percent fully committed. Pansy sat at her desk as she prepared to eat a quick breakfast of toast and marmalade. She could hear Harriet filing the papers needed to start the day's work.

After eating, she set herself to work. She grabbed the parchment containing a layout of the seating plan for this Tuesday's tea party—a mixer for current and prospective employees of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. She had began working on the seating charts when Harriet knocked on her door.

"A Mr. Weasley is here to see you." Harriet said. Pansy frowned; she was not expecting Percy at all. She sighed and motioned for Harriet to lead him in. She saw a flash of red hair and smiled, but was surprised when it was Ronald Weasley who entered. Ron smiled apologetically at her. She stood up and motioned for him to sit down.

"Good morning Pan…Parkinson…" Ron awkwardly started.

"Ron, is it alright if I call you that? You can call me Pansy." She offered. Ron nodded, mumbling under his breath.

"Right. Pansy, I came here to apologize about my behavior last Friday night. It was very rude of me. I had too much Firewhisky and well, let's be honest, the sight of you with my brother just startled me." Ron started. Pansy nodded understandingly.

"It's alright, really. We had a good laugh about it afterwards. Did Granger put you up to this?" Pansy humorously asked. She knew the youngest Weasley son would never go near her on his own volition.

"Partly, yes. But I really do want to apologize. I was a complete prick. Whatever…erm…business you have with my brother stays between you two." Ron said.

"Thank you, I appreciate it." Pansy serenely said. There was an awkward silence as Ron dared to ask what he wanted to know ever since he saw them dining together.

"Are you two…erm…going out?" Ron asked, Pansy blushed.

"Ron, can I speak frankly? We may not be friends, but we're a lot better at dealing with each other now than we were at Hogwarts. God, we were awful." Pansy started, chuckling at the memories. Ron snorted, remembering the things they used to say to each other. It all seemed too trivial now that they have been faced by problems of the real world. It occurred to them how much sheltered they were by Hogwarts before the war.

"I don't know where this relationship with your brother is going. Truth be told I never saw him as someone I could date back when we were in Hogwarts. But make no mistake, we…erm…do enjoy each other's company." Pansy softly said. It was completely honest, and it was the best she could do.

"Well, like I said, it's none of my business. Harry, Hermione and I fully respect both of your rights to…well…go out. The twins won't be so forgiving, but they'll eventually warm up." Ron said. "The twins and Percy have a…erm…special kind of sibling rivalry. They'll probably make it hell for both of you." Ron continued, laughing at the possibility of the twins finding out that Percy had a, well, love life.

"Well, Rita Skeeter wrote about us in her column today at the Prophet so I should be expecting their knocks on my door too." Pansy joked. Ron rolled his eyes.

"That woman is insufferable." Ron said, shaking his head.

"Thank you for dropping by, Ronald. It means a lot that we don't have any animosity between us anymore." Pansy said.

"Like I said, we were all children then. I should take my leave. I'll see you around, Pansy." Ron said. With one final handshake, Ron departed, leaving Pansy stunned in her seat at the conversation she had just had with her former enemy at Hogwarts.

_The twins won't be so forgiving, _Ron's voice rang in her mind and suddenly she reached for her notes on Sheila Wood's party for her husband. Three words came to her mind: _Weasleys Wizard Wheezes. _

She might have to deal with more of the Weasley clan sooner than she expected.


	8. Chapter 8: An Ickle Ronniekins Conundrum

"You sly little womanizer."

Percy had been sitting in his chair looking out of his window in the office. He had a magnificent view of the Fountain of Magical Brethren, where he often saw people dropping Knuts, Sickles and the occasional Galleon into it out of habit. He had his back to his desk when he heard that voice. He swiveled his chair and came face to face with two identical redheads.

"Oh dear, what do you want now?" Percy asked, sighing as he massaged his temple. He was beginning to feel a migraine coming along.

"Well brother, we came here to renew our permits for the joke shop." Fred started.

"But we realized there was another urgent matter to attend to." George continued.

"Oh really? What urgent matter?" He sighed resignedly, dropping his head onto his hands.

"Pansy Parkinson!" The twins exclaimed. Percy's head shot up and he was instantly glaring daggers at the twins.

"What did Ronald tell you?" Percy imperiously demanded, slamming his fist on the table. The twins remained unfazed.

"Ickle Ronniekins had nothing to do with it." George said. Percy frowned and tried to recall, were the twins at _The Bronze Knut _too?

"We didn't need to go through Ronny, dear." Fred gleefully said. Percy groaned.

"What do you mean?" Percy asked through gritted teeth.

"RITA SKEETER!" The twins exclaimed.

In a flash, Percy reached for the untouched copy of The Daily Prophet on his table. The twins, however, were too quick. Fred opened the newspaper and began reading.

"Weasley brothers brawl at The Bronze Knut. What a riveting title, right, George?" Fred asked. George nodded enthusiastically before reading the next part.

_"_On Friday night, Auror Ronald Weasley (accompanied by close friend Harry Potter and fiancé Hermione Granger) exchanged loud words with his brother Ministry Official Percy Weasley, who was accompanied by socialite and party planner…" George paused for dramatic effect.

_"_PANSY PARKINSON!" They both exclaimed aloud.

"This is not the first time Mr. Weasley and Mr. Parkinson have been sighted together, as my sources tell me they had a rather intimate dinner last Wednesday night." Fred read as George guffawed.

"Intimate?" George exclaimed.

"Our Perfect Percy, intimate? Quite unbelievable!" Fred disbelievingly said.

"Is Arthur Weasley's last single son thinking of settling down with the fabulous Ms. Parkinson? I'll be the first to know." George finished. Not one second after, the twins were on the floor laughing.

Percy blushed at the use of the term _last single son. _It was not his fault his career had left him crippled in the romantic department. But more importantly, what was Rita Skeeter doing meddling in his business? He was mortified, imagining the look of horror on Pansy's face when she read this. He would have to hold some sort of discussion with her on where they stood, and what would be more awkward than a talk about their relationship's potential? But first, he had to deal with the twins and their uncontrollable laughter.

"Sit down, both of you or you'll hurt yourselves." Percy impatiently said. They both stared at him.

"The Percy of old would have let us hurt ourselves, Gred!" Fred said.

"I'm afraid he's gone soft, Forge! Bitten by the love bug." George replied. They resumed their laughter.

"Stop it both you, this is juvenile." Percy reprimanded. The twins' laughter eventually subsided and a moment of silence followed.

"Did you get into her knickers?" George asked. Percy blushed as they laughed at his expense.

"No, Ms. Parkinson and I are taking this…erm…courtship in the…erm…appropriate speed." Percy said through gritted teeth. A few moments of silence followed.

"Couldn't get it up?" George offered.

"Didn't know where to put it?" Fred asked.

"Stop. It." Percy scolded. Fred and George sighed.

"You know, George, it's baffling how a person like Ms. Parkinson…" Fred started

"Who loves to throw parties…" George continued

"Would agree to go out with our brother…" Fred said, smirking

"Who's the death of every party!" They both exclaimed together.

"For your information I have been to many parties." Percy said, curling his fists into balls and turning even redder.

"Oh that's right Ministry parties! How delightful!" Fred exclaimed. They then proceeded to imitate many Ministry officials

"I say, Tubbington, that troll dung looks absolutely appetizing!" George droned in a troll's voice.

"Oh thank you, Archibald, I dug it out of the troll myself!" Fred replied pompously. All Percy could do was roll his eyes.

"Both of you have to leave. I have actual work to do." Percy said, shooing them out.

"Now hold on, brother, we didn't come here for nothing. We came here to help you." Fred appealed. Percy stopped and heard them out.

"Help me? Since when have you wanted to help me?" Percy asked.

"Well, without us, you'll probably mess this relationship up. Mother's always sobbing on and on about how little Percykins needs to find a bride because she doesn't want you to end up alone." George said.

"I knew Pansy Parkinson back in Hogwarts and she wasn't the best of company." Fred started.

"But then neither are you." George concluded.

"But I guess you're both decent now." Fred relented.

"Which is why we're going to help you get in her knickers!" Fred and George chorused.

Percy gave a strangled cry before pushing the twins towards his door.

"I'm doing perfectly well on my own, and I don't want to get in her knickers…I mean, I do but…oh never mind! Go away!" He cried.

"Wait Percy! Once she sees the real you she'll go running!" George pleaded.

"Then you'll be forever alone!" Fred shouted, causing Carrie to look up in mild interest.

"I'll manage, now get out!" Percy exclaimed, shoving them both out completely. He sighed and leaned his back to the door. He could faintly hear them muttering outside.

"He's doomed." He heard Fred say to George before they walked away. Percy shook his head at the twins' insolence before setting himself back down on his chair.

Most likely his mother had already read Rita Skeeter's column and would demand to meet his supposed paramour. There was a fat chance she had also told his father. Bill and Fleur never cared for that sort of thing, so Percy had that thought comforting him. Charlie was too enamoured by his dragons so that left Ginny, who had probably heard it from Harry already. Percy blanched at the thought of that, they both weren't ready for this kind of attention—their relationship was still a fledgling for Merlin's sake. The young Ministry official sighed, there was work to be done and such trivial things should be left outside of work hours.


	9. Chapter 9: A Gentleman Invited

Pansy knew it was a bad idea when she agreed to have lunch with Millicent on the same day that Rita Skeeter's column came out. The invitation to join her for a meal in Millicent's office at the Department of Mysteries came shortly after Ronald's visit and she was sure that her friend wanted to know about her relationship with Percy Weasley. She entered the lunch with Millicent ready to tell her best friend about her emerging feelings for Mr. Weasley. Millicent had been understanding, after all Percy Weasley was a respectable man with a good career. Pansy had emerged from that meeting not only with her best friend's approval but also with an extended invitation for Percy to join them for one of their monthly dinners at Blaise Zabini's chateau on Thursday night.

Her group of Slytherins was the closest thing she had to a family—in fact she could remember some of them being there for her more than her true family ever was. There were times when they could only trust one of their own. Their friendship dated back before their days in Hogwarts, and no war had changed that. Even though their parents had been on the Dark Side during the war, their generation had been lucky enough to avoid Azkaban. No amount of allegiance to Potter or Voldemort could change the fact that they were family, and they stuck together through thick and thin. After the war, sins were forgiven and relationships were mended. Most of them did not have any more blood relations left, so really all they had was each other. Which was why they all decided to have a small dinner party once a month together with their respective husbands, wives and current paramours.

Months passed by and she was witness to the dinner table growing longer and longer as her friends began to find romantic commitments. Some of those commitments eventually turned into marriage and pretty soon it became evident that an invitation needed to be sent before the party to determine if someone was bringing a plus one. For the first time, Pansy checked off the plus one in the invitation. She refused to entertain the fact that she had yet to ask Percy, deciding to deal with only one matter at a time.

She checked her watch and saw that the lunch break would be over in about ten minutes. Pansy picked up the pace and rushed to Percy's office. Thankfully, Carrie was away and Percy's door was open. Pansy gave two soft knocks before Percy turned around and saw her.

Pansy seriously didn't know how he would react to seeing her, but as she spotted the crumpled copy of the Daily Prophet in his wastebasket, she cast her eyes down.

"I see that you've read Rita's piece." She softly said. She closed the door behind her and took a seat in the chair in front of his desk.

More like it was read to me, Percy thought, but this was no time to mention his brothers.

"Percy, I'm not going to beat around the bush. I know things have progressed faster than either of us expected but there's nothing we can do now that it's all over the Prophet. What I want to ask you is…do you want to see where this leads? Or would you rather we break it off right now before any of us gets too serious?" Pansy asked, looking into Percy's eyes. Percy sighed looking at her hands curled at the table. He reached out and took his hands in his.

"I do admit that these past few days have been enjoyable. I do find your company pleasing, Pansy, do know that." Percy said, looking at their intertwined hands.

"But…" Pansy pressed on, closing her eyes to prepare herself for the condition Percy had that she did not possess.

"No buts. I like you, more than as a friend." Percy said. He walked around the table and helped her up.

"You're passionate, driven, and you're independent just like me. But you're also confident, you deal with people easily and you have such effortless grace—those are the things I lack. But make no mistake of my growing feelings for you." Percy sincerely said. What he was doing was seriously out of character for him, he had never shown this kind of vulnerability before (maybe that was why Penelope Clearwater had broken it off with him all those years ago) but he felt like he could be himself with Pansy. He spent a few moments just looking into her dark, smoldering eyes.

"Percy?" Pansy whispered.

"Hmm?" He asked, not taking his eyes off her.

"This is the part where you kiss me." Pansy softly said.

"What did—" Percy was broken off as Pansy leaned in and crashed her lips into his in a soft, tender embrace. Percy put his hands around her full waist and Pansy wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm so sorry I didn't know!" Carrie's voice was heard as she strove to pick up pieces of parchment that had fallen, quickly closing the door in her wake. Percy turned red and all Pansy could do was giggle.

"I'm starting to enjoy this." Pansy commented, amused by Carrie's unceremonious entrance.

"This'll be all over the ministry by tomorrow." Percy dryly said.

"Does that mean I'm your girlfriend now?" Pansy asked, testing the waters. Percy laughed.

"Only if I get to be your boyfriend." Percy replied, giving her a kiss on the temple.

"That reminds me, Millicent suggested that I…erm…take you to one of our monthly dinners." Pansy nervously said.

"Dinner? With who?" Percy asked, frowning slightly. Pansy was quick to soothe him.

"Well, you're sort of going to be meeting my family." Pansy said.

"I thought your parents—" Percy began but Pansy continued

"Oh no, not my blood family, this is a tougher crowd—my Slytherin family." Pansy cheekily said. Percy almost choked.

"B…bu…but Pansy they hate me!" Percy managed to get out. While things were fine between their circles, there was still some animosity that no amount of time could heal.

"They don't _hate_ you, Percy. In fact you hold power over some of them so they'll be forced to play nice. They're not as bad as you think, just misjudged like I was." Pansy chided. One look into her eyes and Percy was ready to go through hell and back to appease her.

"Don't worry, it'll be alright. It was Millicent's idea. She approves of our relationship by the way. Millicent Bulstrode's one of the toughest characters in our circle of friends, so if she's feeling positive about it, the others will surely follow suit. Please? I've already said yes." Pansy begged. True, it was presumptuous of her to RSVP for two without her date's consent, but one should always hope.

"Who will be there?" Percy asked, sitting down. He could already feel himself relenting to her request.

"Oh you know, the Slytherins in my year. Daphne Greengrass, Theo Nott, Gregory Goyle, Blaise Zabini, Millicent Bulstrode, Draco Malfoy…some of them will be bringing their dates too." Pansy recounted.

"Malfoy will be there?" Percy asked, wary of his now-girlfriend's former flame.

"With Astoria Greengrass." Pansy soothingly said. Percy's eyes widened in awe, already she knew his reservations and was able to calm him without injuring his pride.

"Alright, I'll go to your dinner." Percy said, earning him a squeal and an embrace from Pansy.

"Thank you so much, I am in your debt." Pansy said. The clock sounded, signaling that lunch break was over for Ministry workers. Pansy smiled ruefully at him.

"I should get back to my office. I'll see you soon?" Pansy asked. Percy kissed her cheek.

"I'll Floo you later." Percy affirmed. He escorted her to the door and looked at her as she sauntered easily across the hallways of the Ministry. He then thought about how he could win over Pansy's friends during this dinner, a task which, unlike signing papers and conducting interviews, he found difficult to do.


	10. Chapter 10: Terms of Endearment

Pansy did not know what to call this feeling she was currently having. It was a mixture of pride, security and fondness that naturally came with the affirmation that one was involved in a romantic commitment. That same Monday evening, Percy had flooed her in her office, apologizing that he had no free time until Wednesday because of paperwork he needed to file. Pansy did not want to begrudge him the focus he needed to give to work so she understood; after all she was not without something to do herself. In fact, it was as if they had come to some sort of understanding—they were two people who were currently enjoying their respective careers, and because of that security they were able to find genuine comfort in each other. It was a small price to pay for two people talented in their field of work.

She didn't mind paying the price, although the fact that Percy had sent her flowers on Tuesday morning made it easier. She never figured Percy to be the over-the-top, lovey-dovey type so she learned to cherish these signs of affection. Besides, a clingy boyfriend was not something she needed right now. She needed someone with their own mind, their own life and their own ambition to complement her style. Percy was charming in his own way, that he did not know he was charming. The fact that he was easily flustered when it came to her was obviously a sign of his attraction.

So Pansy, like Percy, diligently checked off her list of things to do before she could go off gallivanting with her significant other. She wondered if some higher force aligned their schedules, for Wednesday was her freest day of the week. Her only appointment for that day was to go to the Weasleys joke shop and negotiate for prices of party favors. She figured that since the twins were Oliver Wood's old teammates that they wouldn't give her a hard time. She hoped they could see past the horrible person she was during their Hogwarts days and negotiate with her like any other equal.

Struck with a grand idea, she grabbed some floo powder and decided to call on Percy. He was probably still in the Ministry, hopefully she would not intrude on some meeting.

"Percy, are you there?" She asked. She knelt down in front of the fireplace and sat primly.

"You have such impeccable timing, some representative from the Department of Magical Education just left not two seconds before you called." Percy replied. Pansy grinned, even though his face was only in green flames, she wanted to reach out and touch his cheek. Checking herself, she got down to business.

"I wanted to ask you another favor, Merlin I'm racking up quite the debt on you aren't I?" Pansy humorously asked. Percy nodded; whatever she asked he was sure his answer would be yes.

"I'll make sure you pay it sufficiently someday." Percy joked. "Your wish is my command, my lady."

"Well you see, I need to settle some things for Oliver Wood's party and I need to negotiate the price of party favors with your brothers." Pansy said, getting right to the point.

"Party favors? The joke shop?" Percy asked, knowing the answer. Percy inwardly groaned, if Pansy asked what he dreaded she would ask then he would not be able to say no. The twins would have a field day.

"Yes. Well, the twins and I have never gotten along during Hogwarts and I was wondering if you would accompany me to their shop on Wednesday? You know, to help my cause." Pansy asked. She remembered Ron saying that the twins and Percy had some kind of sibling rivalry, but they were blood relatives after all.

Percy took a deep breath and closed his eyes. If he said no, he would be displeasing his beautiful girlfriend. No doubt the twins would badger her more about their relationship than the price of a few toys, and he cringed at the thought that they would say something about him that would upset her and ultimately destroy their relationship. If he said yes, he would be subjecting both of them to embarrassment, but at least they would face it together.

"I can't send a snake into the lion's den, now could I? At least with me there, it'll be two of us and we'll have a fighting chance right? I'll go with you. Wednesday afternoon? I'm free after lunch, I don't need to stay the whole day." Percy said. Pansy gleefully squealed, how she wanted to embrace the man right now.

"I'll meet you in Fortescue's?" Pansy asked. Percy nodded, smiling at the way he had made her happy in his own little ways.

"Right. I have to get back to work now. See you on Wednesday, dear!" Pansy sweetly said, throwing in the term of endearment. She could see Percy blush before the flames dissipated. Pansy grinned, setting herself back on her chair and calling for Harriet to bring in the next client.

Percy was surprised at Pansy's term of endearment. He didn't hate it, but he was surprised. He wasn't one for those kinds of things, but it was just one word and it was evidence of Pansy's growing affection for him. Make no mistake, his fondness for her might as well be turning into something deeper but he had no idea how to express it. Pansy had her terms of endearment; he had flowers, chocolates, his unwavering appreciation of her beauty and prowess and the penchant for never saying _no _to anything she asked. Maybe someday they would be both comfortable enough for more terms of endearment. Although he didn't see Pansy as one to give him sickening nicknames, and for that he was thankful. _Dear_, and maybe someday _love_ would be appropriate enough. He shook his head, this girl was working some sort of magic on him, and he was more than ready to receive and reciprocate.


	11. Chapter 11: Ammunition

Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor was a staple in Diagon Alley. Its bright pink signage was always a welcome sight visible from far away. Most wizards and witches associate the establishment with hot August days spent lounging—on a break from shopping for school supplies for the coming school year at Hogwarts. Parents would occasionally leave their children there should they want a few moments of uninterrupted shopping, and, before his untimely death at the hands of Death Eaters, old Florean was more than happy to entertain the little ones with engaging stories of ancient spells and witch burnings. Truly, one did not grow up a child of Britain's Wizarding world without hearing a story or two from Florean over a cone of ice cream. He had been witness to many things: shy teenagers sharing sundaes, who would eventually grow into old professionals often spotted indulging in the tastes of their childhood.

One of Florean's great-nephews, Jean Fortescue, had taken over the shop after the war ended, and once again the establishment was seeing better days. He was not the historian and storyteller his great-uncle was, but he was a jolly man who used to perform for the circus. Jean loved his customers as much as his great-uncle had, and could often be seen juggling, tossing and catching scoops of ice cream in the air, earning the applause of young and old alike.

Pansy distinctly remembered sharing a few scoops with Draco Malfoy in Florean Fortescue's back when they were children. Their parents would often go out to have tea or go shopping and would leave the two youngsters in the shop, imploring Florean to give them whatever ice cream or treat they wanted with sincere promises of payment should the time come when they were to be picked up. Oftentimes their friends would join them, and oftentimes she would be alone. Pansy would always be enthralled by Florean's company, and no war could change the fact that the ice cream was still the best treat. Jean had been more than happy to cater for a few of Pansy's parties, and would always give her a sizable discount for the commission.

It was Jean's warm face that welcomed her that fateful Wednesday afternoon. She had just had a quick lunch at the office and was craving for some dessert. She looked at the clock thoughtfully, Percy would be here soon, and maybe he'd like to share a treat.

"Ms. Parkinson! What can I do for you?" Jean asked, tossing a few scoops of ice cream in the air and catching them with a cone. He carefully handed the ice cream to a gleeful blonde girl, whose mother smiled thankfully and paid for the treat. After they left, Pansy looked over the ice cream selection.

"I'm just waiting for someone, we're just going to have some ice cream and we'll be off to run an errand." Pansy answered, silently salivating for the strawberry and peanut butter confection she spotted in front of her.

"Someone special?" Jean asked. Pansy flashed him her famous Slytherin smirk before chuckling. The 50-year-old man was as talkative as his great-uncle had been.

"You could say that." Pansy relented. The bell on top of the door rang, signaling another customer had come in. Pansy was about to turn back when suddenly she felt strong arms around her waist, pulling her to a warm embrace from the back.

Percy impulsively kissed her cheek, and suddenly he was aware of how much he had missed her during the past two days that they had not seen each other. Pansy blushed, slightly uncomfortable with the display of affection in front of the older man. Jean shook his head, chuckling.

"What will you two lovebirds be having?" Jean asked. Percy blushed and smiled at him, shrugging. He too had spent a significant amount of time eating Florean Fortescue's ice cream as a child. Out of all his siblings, he had been the most frugal when it came to their meager allowances so every time he and his family went to Diagon Alley, he always had enough to buy him a small treat.

"I don't know, I don't have a particular favorite. You?" Percy asked Pansy. Pansy pursed her lips in thought.

"Tell you what, you both enjoy a sundae on the house. Have a seat outside; it's such a wonderful day. I'll be with you shortly." Jean said. He immediately turned around and opened a door that led to the back of his shop, presumably to get a sundae bowl. Percy led Pansy outside and helped her to an empty seat.

"Remind me, why did we decide to get ice cream?" Percy asked, chuckling at the fact that they had just scored a free treat.

"I figured since we were heading into battle, we should prepare and arm ourselves." Pansy joked.

"Anyways, how was work?" Pansy asked. Percy shrugged.

"It's the same, interviews, papers, Shacklebolt's demands, my field of work doesn't leave too much room for excitement. How about you?" Percy asked.

"Yesterday, the soiree for the Department of International Magical Cooperation went swimmingly well, another day in the life of a party planner." Pansy said. The bell rang again, and out emerged Jean carrying a scrumptious looking sundae in a crystal bowl. Protruding from the mouthwatering treat were two long silver spoons.

"Enjoy!" Jean exclaimed. They both offered their thanks profusely, with Jean just smiling, happy to see two customers enjoying his ice cream and each other's company.

Pansy immediately dug in, scooping some chocolate ice cream onto her mouth. She groaned in pleasure, the ice cream was just too heavenly. She spotted Percy looking at her with a peculiar look and she immediately scowled at him. Percy took his own spoon and partook some ice cream, sharing Pansy's delight.

"Percy?"

Percy was in the middle of shoveling a big gob of strawberry and peanut butter ice cream into his mouth when he heard the voice. He immediately turned back and saw a person he had not seen since their Hogwarts graduation, someone he thought was far away researching and studying vampires in Transylvania. He had not expected to see Penelope Clearwater at all.

"Penelope! Hi! I didn't expect you to…erm…be here. I thought you were in Transylvania?" Percy asked. Penelope ducked her head, tucking some of her blonde hair behind her ear. Her blue eyes twinkled, as if slightly embarrassed.

"Yes, well, my study with vampires ended earlier than I had planned. I only have to compile and submit to the Department of Care of Magical Creatures. How about you, Percy? How have you been?" Penelope asked. She remembered her Hogwarts sweetheart very well. She immediately spotted that he was wearing Ministry robes, no doubt already in a high-ranking position for someone as young as he. He had always been ambitious, already from the beginning eyeing the Ministry for his career. She had always wanted to travel, to do field work, and ultimately she believed that was what broke them apart.

"I work in the Ministry now." Percy said lamely, looking at the books that Penelope carried. "Are you on your way home?" He asked.

"Yes, so much work to do." Penelope said. There were a few moments of awkward silence before Percy spoke again.

"Do forgive me. Penelope, this is my girlfriend, Pansy Parkinson. I don't know if you remember her, she was a few years below us in Hogwarts?" Percy said, motioning to Pansy. Pansy wiped off some chocolate syrup on her chin and stood up, gracefully shaking hands with Percy's friend. Feeling a rush of familiarity towards Pansy, Penelope immediately felt intimidated. She vaguely remembered Pansy Parkinson, but she did know that she was a pureblood from Slytherin. Percy didn't know it (and the world be damned if she ever admitted it), but it was one of the things she was most insecure about in their relationship. She knew blood purity was trivial, but she could not help but feel a little put out whenever they would converse and Penelope was less than knowledgeable on certain matters that only a person who'd grown up in the Wizarding World would know.

"Lovely to meet you, Penelope." Pansy graciously said. She was seemingly unaware of the tension between her boyfriend and Penelope. Penelope had heard that Pansy Parkinson was already a successful party planner—now this was someone that Percy needed: someone driven, rooted to their locality, and even though their childhoods were severely different, their coming from Wizarding Families must have given them a lot to talk about.

Pansy was everything Penelope was not. She was beautiful, carried herself well—even her diction and the way she spoke was very admirable. Penelope had always been gangly and awkward, her shoulders always seemed to slouch and even though she was tall she never knew how to carry her height confidently and properly. She had no idea why Percy, a boy she thought was handsome in his own right, had ever gone out with her. She supposed it was because of their shared love for academics, their respect for the rules and the fact that they bonded over being prefects.

"I must be off, like I said I erm…have lots to do. It was nice seeing you again, Percy, and you too Pansy. Hope to…erm…see you again soon." Penelope said. She gathered her wits and then left, never looking back at them. A few seconds of silence followed.

"I'm sorry, that was a very awkward encounter." Percy said, looking at Pansy's face and searching it for any sign of anger or sadness. Thankfully, there was none, only a look of slight amusement.

"Oh, good, I thought it was just me. She was your ex-girlfriend right?" Pansy casually asked. Percy hung his head shamefully.

"We dated while we were at school and broke up just before graduation. She wanted to travel and see the world, I wanted to work for the Ministry." Percy explained. Pansy nodded thoughtfully.

"But there's nothing between us anymore, no, I'm with you now, and I…erm…" Percy quickly said, lest Pansy think there was still something there. Merlin, Pansy thought, this man was much more awkward than she had thought—which made her even more attracted to him.

"It's alright, Percy. I understand." She said. Percy smiled, taking her hand in his and massaging her knuckles with his thumb. He looked sheepishly at their slowly melting sundae. Pansy understood, alright. She knew what it felt like to realize that you and the person you loved wanted totally different things. But because it was such a happy day and she was with the man whom she adored and who adored her in return, she would not think of the past.

"What are you thinking about?" Percy asked, trying to save the melting ice cream by scooping glob after glob into his mouth. Pansy giggled softly, staring at his youthful face set alight by the presence of a treat.

"Just that my boyfriend looks so handsome with ice cream dripping down his chin." Pansy laughed. She took a purple handkerchief from her purse, reached across the table and wiped his chin. Percy blushed; he seemed to have been doing that a lot lately, especially whenever a certain raven-haired beauty was concerned.

"Should we go?" Percy asked. They had finished most of the sundae and Pansy was just wiping her fingers with her handkerchief.

"I've lived through two wars, I think I can handle another battle." Pansy confidently said. They said their goodbyes to Jean Fortescue, who again waved off their efforts to pay for the sundae. Percy laughed; she was just so easy to talk to. He wasn't the type who had many friends—most people either catalogued him as a workaholic or a killjoy. It was nice to have someone who could go along with his type of humor. He gently helped her up her seat and together they walked towards Number 93 Diagon Alley, silently hoping Pansy's moxie could get him through another encounter with the twins.


	12. Chapter 12: Double Deal

Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes looked like the fantasy of a schoolboy who had too much imagination, time and candy, and technically is really was. It looked much more whimsical than Zonko's, as the shop also doubled as a sort of laboratory for the twins who ran it. People who lived near the shop would swear that they would hear explosions and all sorts of sounds coming from the shop even in the middle of the night.

Pansy remembered that back in her fifth year, the twins had begun selling their prank items to fellow students (she remembered some younger, much more impressionable students purchasing them). The day she was supposed to take of her O. was the day the twins decided to be generous and give everyone an extra day of studying (not to mention they did everyone a favor because Umbridge truly was insufferable, though Pansy had never voiced that out lest she be taken away from the Inquisitor's Squad). She remembered how funny they looked flying around the Great Hall, and how Peeves had had a great time supporting them through it. They had started their business immediately right after dropping out and were modestly successful during their first few years, eventually turning into a bigger enterprise the same time Pansy's party planning business was booming.

It was a place known for its welcoming aura and its mischievous nature—a testament to human creativity and whimsy. Pansy had bought party favors from them before, so she did not know why she was extra nervous, probably because the twins would expectedly be more wary around her now that they knew she was dating their older brother. Maybe it was also because Pansy did not just come to negotiate prices, but to convince the twins to sign a contract that would guarantee a more stable partnership between their businesses for years to come. She was not sure if that was a metaphor for her intention to stay in Percy's life for the foreseeable future, and that she wanted his family's eventual acceptance.

Percy looked at her, giving her temple a light peck. Pansy relaxed in his touch, she knew he wouldn't put her in any situation that would make her uncomfortable.

"Ready?" Percy asked. Pansy smirked at him, a smirk that reminded him too much of the Slytherin she always will be.

"Snakes may have smaller fangs than lions, but we have venom." Pansy said, reciting an old adage that Draco had said to her many years ago while he was saying goodbye. It was after the chaos with Snape that resulted in Dumbledore's death, and Draco was able to steal away a few minutes with her before his escape. He implored her to join him, and that was the first time she had ever had to say no to the Malfoy heir. The saying stuck to her though, reminding her that no matter what life threw at her she would always have to survive.

Percy shook his head, silently admiring her confidence. She had had to endure so much at such a young age because of the choices her parents and those closest to her had made. Not once had she renounced her Slytherin qualities, recognizing that cunning and ambition were just as valuable as bravery, intelligence or loyalty. Because of who she was, she had been persecuted but not once did she show any sign of weakness.

Holding on to her hand protectively, Percy pushed the door to the twins' joke shop and was immediately bombarded with the scent of cinnamon. He could see smoke coming out from the second floor landing, and his first instinct was to carry Pansy and drag her out of there because of the danger the twins usually posed. However, he remained resolute, standing and ringing the bell on the counter. There were only a few customers shopping, and they seemed to be in their own little worlds.

Pansy took the time to look over the joke shop; nothing had changed since the last time she had been inside. There were aisles still stacked with prank items, some confections with surprise toys inside, and even a few everyday items she was sure were fake and would probably explode or make a disgusting noise when triggered. She craned her head to the left to a section near the window where the Weasley twins stacked their joke items meant for the adult crowd—the section was covered with a curtain and she had heard that the twins had charmed it so that those of the younger age wouldn't be able to see it. There were all sorts of temporary love concoctions, perfumes—all sorts of things she did not even know were aphrodisiacs. She immediately blushed when she saw the handcuffs, ropes and blindfolds hanging there, wondering vaguely if Percy was the sort of man into that sort of thing. She then quickly decided to forget she ever thought about it.

"How's it coming, George?"

Pansy almost jumped in surprise when she saw that a red haired man wearing a shirt with a big letter F sewn on it had popped out from below the counter. He was addressing someone from where the smoke was originating. Moments later, a man that looked exactly like him emerged from the smoke, wearing the same shirt but with the letter G. George Weasley coughed before muttering a charm that made the smoke disappear. He then gathered a few pieces of small red boxes and made his way downstairs.

"Doesn't it disturb the both of you that your names rhyme? Pansy, Percy, Pansy, Percy…Merlin, you could become a song!" George exclaimed, dropping the boxes beside a nearby aisle.

"I knew this day would come! It didn't last more than two weeks, George, pay up!" Fred said, shaking his head sadly.

"Ah, Ms. Parkinson! I assume you've come to trade our brother for some of our newest items! Pity he couldn't entertain you that well." George said, sighing and patting Pansy on the head.

"Well, unlike Percykins here our toys would guarantee you good time! You have to see our clown in a box, he could make you laugh so hard you'd piss your pants." Fred exclaimed, grabbing one of the red boxes George had brought down and putting it in front of Pansy. Pansy looked Percy in the eye mischievously. Percy rolled his eyes and nodded, as if telling her to indulge his younger brothers. Pansy gingerly opened the toy box and gasped as a miniature clown emerged and started dancing.

"He answers questions too! Look!" George said, motioning to Fred. Fred cleared his throat.

"Will Percy ever get into Pansy's knickers?" Fred asked in a deep voice. Pansy blushed to her core and before Percy could react the clown had begun to speak.

"Absolutely! It's a—" The clown squealed in a high-pitched male voice but it was interrupted.

"That's enough!" Percy exclaimed. Percy slammed his hand on the box's cover and immediately the clown jumped back in just in time for Percy's hand to close the box. The twins laughed.

"It's only a joke, brother. Don't be so overdramatic. Besides, they're the first generation, cut him some slack." George cooed, patting the red box fondly.

"And besides, Pansy's amused, right, Parkinson?" Fred asked, pinching Pansy's cheek. Percy slapped his brother's hand away and Pansy massaged her reddening cheek.

"We didn't come here to be amused." Percy said, already feeling the beginnings of a migraine. Pansy looked at him sympathetically and wrapped her fingers around his clenched fist.

"Then why would you come to a joke shop?" George incredulously asked.

"I think he's lost it, George." Fred audibly whispered.

"Women: can't live with them, can't live without them." George said, shaking his head. Pansy rolled her eyes and stepped forward.

"Erm…okay, hello Fred and George Weasley. I've come here to buy some items…erm…party favors for gift bags. Oliver Wood just got promoted to Keeper for Puddlemere united and his wife has asked me to assist her in throwing a party to celebrate." Pansy said, putting her hands on the counter. The twins shared looks of recognition.

"Oliver!" They exclaimed in unison, remembering their former Gryffindor teammate. The twins grinned enthusiastically and in a flash took one of Pansy's arms, escorting her to their aisles leaving Percy to follow awkwardly in their wake.

"We have lots that Oliver would love!" They exclaimed. They began showing her item after item, leaving her confused and dazed. Percy had diligently followed behind them, catching the items that Fred and George were carelessly tossing around. In the end, Pansy had settled for bulk orders of broomstick key chains that actually flew, blue and yellow pygmy puffs (Puddlemere United's color) and reusable hangmans (which the twins had told her was Oliver's favorite game).

"Can you give me a discount for these bulk orders?" Pansy carefully asked. The twins fell silent, biting their lips in thought before nodding enthusiastically. Fred conjured up an abacus and started calculating.

"Let's see, you get fifteen percent off the total order because of five percent each item, an additional ten percent because we love Oliver Wood, and another additional four because you're dating our brother—which deserves an award unto itself." Fred said. He wrote the final price down on a piece of parchment and handed it over to George. Pansy smirked at Percy—yes, bringing her boyfriend had been a good idea. Percy rolled his eyes at his brothers' attempts to embarrass him.

"So that's a total of a twenty-nine percent discount, and since Percy smells a lot better than he usually does, I'll throw in an additional one percent. That's thirty percent off the total price, a real bargain if you ask me!" George said, writing a few more things down in the parchment.

"Of course, maybe someday you'll be availing of the family discount, which is—" Percy again interrupted them, seething.

"Just give her the final price." Percy said through gritted teeth. He looked at Pansy, and gave a sigh of relief when it was clear that she was not offended nor put out, in fact she even looked amused.

"There! Done!" George exclaimed, handing the parchment to Pansy. She took a look at it and nodded, putting it back on her purse.

"Will that be all?" Fred asked. Percy was about to nod when Pansy shook her head.

"No, actually, I wanted to ask you both something." Pansy began. Fred and George looked at each other and nodded.

"Yes, he sometimes snores, but it's not that bad once you get used to it." Fred said, looking at her understandingly.

"No, it's not that I—" Pansy tried to start but was once again interrupted.

"Oh, no! He's boring like that all the time, it's not just because you've only started going out recently and he's shy. He really is a bore, and you staying with him is just honorable." George explained, patting Pansy on the shoulder sympathetically.

"No, it's—" Pansy again tried.

"He may not be experienced but—" Fred was about to start but then Percy interrupted again. It was clear he was starting to get frustrated and would maybe lose his temper soon.

"Enough." Percy sternly said. Pansy massaged his hand with her fingers softly.

"It's alright, they're just playing around. I'm okay, honestly. I mean, that's what brothers do right?" Pansy soothingly said, trying to calm Percy down before he lost it. Percy sighed and smiled at Pansy, nodding encouragingly.

"Thank Merlin she understands. Such a far cry from the brat she was at Hogwarts" Fred audibly whispered. Pansy cringed at the reminder of her past, but brushed it off quickly.

"You know, Parkinson, you're all right." George grinned, patting her on the head.

"Now what did you want to ask us?" Fred asked, leaning against the counter.

"I wanted to ask if you wanted to enter into a contract with me. This won't be the last time I'll need party favors and I do need a stable shop to partner up with so that my staff won't have to go through so much trouble." Pansy said. The only other option would have been Zonko's, but the original owners had already passed away or given the shop to their less creative relatives. They were only selling the originals, there weren't any new items coming in.

Fred and George looked at each other thoughtfully for a moment. Percy leaned in, intrigued. The proposal was an intelligent move from Pansy, who clearly wanted the convenience and security of just one provider. It would also be smart of the boys to sign on to it—it would give them a steady market, not to mention the excuse to invent more things should Pansy ever need something catered to a specific theme.

"On one condition, Pansy Parkinson." Fred said, motioning her closer. Pansy leaned in, smiling softly.

"What would that be?" She asked.

"Take care of our Perfect Percy here." George said. Percy frowned, shock at his brothers' request.

"I know he seems like he has his life together, but trust me that is far from true." Fred started to explain.

"So do the best you can. We'll be forever grateful." George said, sighing.

"We may give him a hard time, but be ready for hell and back when he comes home crying." Fred said, nodding at Percy's direction.

Percy was surprised at the show of care and concern. He was not the most affectionate in his family, and truly he had made mistakes in the past (which they had readily forgiven him for when he started to mend his ways) but the truth was he would bend over backwards to protect his family and to ensure their happiness. He was glad to know they would do the same. He frowned when they insinuated that he didn't have his life together and that he would ever come home crying to them, though. As if he would ever deign to do that. He looked at the raven-haired beauty next to him. She was clearly touched at the love his family had for him, for she was grinning and holding his hand tightly at the same time.

"You never have to worry about your brother when he's with me." Pansy said, reaching out and squeezing Percy arm affectionately. The twins nodded enthusiastically.

"All right, let's get this over with before any of us breaks into tears. I'm not one for sobbing right now." George said, writing down Pansy's orders so that they could get started on manufacturing them immediately.

"Oh, and do send the invitation to Oliver's party to our flat. It's right upstairs." Fred said, pointing to the ceiling.

"And you can owl the contract for our partnership to that address too." George said, grinning toothily.

Pansy nodded enthusiastically and looked at Percy, who was also smiling. The meeting had gone better than expected. She thanked the twins for their welcome and took Percy's hand. Percy bid his brothers goodbye and slowly pushed the door to the shop open, helping Pansy exit.

"If you ever need anything, just pay us a visit. If we're not here, I'm sure something from our WonderWitch line will be able to help you out with Percy here." Fred hollered.

"Not that she would ever need it." Percy couldn't help but say. Fred and George shared a look of pride and admiration. Pansy would never need to beguile him with potions or scents—all she had to do was look at him and he would immediately be smitten.

"That's the spirit! Now off you go! Don't have babies yet!" George called

"If you do, name the son after me!" Fred continued.

"No, me!" George protested.

The last they could hear was the twins arguing about who would be the namesake of their son should they have one soon. Pansy chuckled, shaking her head disbelievingly. The twins really were funny, she wished she had paid more attention to them during her Hogwarts days; maybe she wouldn't have been as uptight as she has been. As she walked hand in hand with Percy, she suddenly realized she already had the approval of three out of Percy's six siblings for their relationship. Percy was his own person, of course, and did not need anyone to approve who he was off gallivanting with. But the fact that half of his siblings had somewhat given her their blessing to date Percy had caused her to feel a bit lighter and happier, as if a war was being waged and she was already about to win.


End file.
